Combined string retainer and cutter structure



F. P. UPTON 2,605,542

COMBINED STRING RETAINER AND CUTTER STRUCTURE Aug. 5, 1952 Filed Oct. 7, 1948 INVENTOR. FREDERICK P. UPTON Patented Aug. 5, .1952

. columns!) srnmc strainers corren STRUCTURE q I Frederick hllrton, New. Rochelle. N, 51-.

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:8 Claims. (01. 30 5127) This invention relates to a combination string or cord retainer or holder and a cutter structure. It happens that in almostevery family that string or cord is required for tying up packages or bundles and many times the string or ball of twine or cord gets misplaced and causes a lot 'of trouble and annoyance in looking for it.

It is therefore the-object of my'invention -t provide a receptacle or retainer for carrying a ball of string, twine or cordlwhich may be mounted in a most convenient place, ordinarily such a place is in the kitchen. Anotherobject of my invention is to provide a structure in which there is associated a cutting means for easily and quickly cutting off the string or cord as it is withdrawn from the receptacle or retainer.- A further object is to provide a lock associated with the cutter that will hold the string in'a visible position where it maybe readily grasped by an operator and pulled out of the retainer into proper relation with the cutter so the cord,- string or twine can be quickly cut off and the supply end held in visible position for use on another occasion. Another object of my invention is to provide a retainer for a ball of string or cord of a size that will take balls that are rolled up concentrically or balls that are rolled up on" a bias. This. latter type of room than a round ball, so I have provided a container that will take either type of ball so that'th e same may have a rotary motion or end over motion or a combination or both, as the string or cord is withdrawn from the container. Another object of my invention is to provide a retainer which is readily accessible for inserting the ball of cord thereinto, at the same time to provide a container that can be easily and quickly mounted in operative position.

In the drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete structure on a reduced scale.

Figure 2 is an end view of Figure 1 looking at Figure 1 from the bottom towards the top, the top end mounting means being shown in dotted lines. Figure 3 is a view of the cutter with theparts in one operating position and a string or cord being in position to be cut off;

Figure 4 is a View of the left end of Figure 3, with the cutter shown mounted on the end of the container.

Figure 5 is a view of Figure 3 looking from right to left but with the cutter parts in a position just after the cord or string has been severed and with the string about to be forced into the ball takes up more holding position, the broken lines" indicating the position of the movable member of the cutter in 'its'position before starting: the cutting opera-.-

, tion about as shown in Figure 3.

In the different views wherein like numbers refer to-corresponding par-ts,

I is a receptacle or retainer made of any suitable material preferably plastic so it may be molded-in difierent colors or'even a combination of colors-in the same deviceXOne end of the retainer' has an outwardly curved rim" 2 having therein notches-3 to receivelugs t on a mounting plate 5 wherebythe plate fimay belocked in position by thelugs-fl which maybe considered a bayonet type of locking means on turningthe plate 5' to the position shown. Preferably one of the lugs 6 is wider than the' others and likewise its corresponding notch .3. Adjacent tonotch 3 is a stop 1 which may be a screw set into the flange 2 or a projection molded thereon. This is to prevent the lug 6 from'being moved in a right hand direction looking atFigure 2, but allowing it to be moved left handed until it reaches a stop 8 similar to. stop 1. lThis is so thatthe mounting hole 9 and its co=operative slot ill in the mounting plate. 5 is'i-n alignment with the hole I l in the "opposite end of the retainer so that when the device is mounted through the medium of ascrew ornail; by passingflits-head through the hole 9 and its shankvinto the slot It, the string 12 coming out of the hole-I I will be directly in transverse alignment with; the cutter l3 which is placed, as shown" in Figure 2 soas to be transversely located across :a diameter fromthe hole I l, for a purpose which will be readily understood from what follows: o

The cutter structure may be considered as a combined gripping and cutting means made up of two channel shaped members M and Hi. Channel l5 has one of its flanges l6 located immediately adiacentthe flange IT on the member l4. Also the member l5 has its other flange 18 located adjacent to, but outside ofrthe flange IQ of the member M. The two members 14, and 15 are pivoted together at one end by a stud or pin20. Carried: on the stud or pin 20 is a helical spring 2! which is formed and located so as to hold the coeoperating' flanges in contact with eachother, but should the string l2 be of a size larger than the ordinary, then the member- I5,

when moved'down' in a'cutting operation, will v be shifted laterally-in the direction ofthe arrow so as to allow the cutting edges 22 and 23 to the cord or string is held after the cutting operation by the two flanges l6 and I1. It is to be noted that the member I4 is fastened to the end 25 of the box by the screws 26 also that the flange I6 is somewhat narrower than the flange [8 so as to allow the cutting flanges and cuttin edges 22 and 23 to cut the string l2 just before it is gripped by the flanges I6 and IT. This construction is preferable since it allows'the cuttingedges 22 and 23 to be in the best cutting-position or in close co-operation before any lateral pressure is applied to flange l6 as it pushes the cord down 1 into locking position between the flanges Ni and I1. It will be noted that the pin is so constructed as to allow a small lateral movement of member I 5. Also it is to be noted that'the flange IB is turned slightly inward especially at itsfree end so as to form its gripping and holding action without a tendency to cut the string or cord com-' ing fromthe ball B shown in dotted lines in Figures 1 and 2. The movable flange member -I 5 has its-web 21 extendedfor the operator to take hold of in moving the member l5 during the cutting operation. Byhaving the cutter composed of the members l4 and 15 arranged transversely to the hole I I, the string will find; a position across the fixed member as illustrated in Figure 3 so -to enable the operator to take hold of the lip 21 and open the cutting member IE to position as shown in Figure 3 and then after pulling out a length of string desired,'the member I5 is moved downward to the; position shown in Figure 5 where the string is cut. 3

Having thus described my invention what I claimis. 1'

1. A structure including a receptacle forcarrying string and having anexit opening-for the string, means for supporting the receptacle, a combined gripping and cutting means mounted on the receptacle so a string coming from, the receptacle will pass across said grippingand cutting means, said gripping and cutting, means comprising a channel shaped member fastened toean outer wall of the receptacle and another channel shaped member pivotally mounted at one end to one end of thefirst mentioned channel member, each channel shaped member having a web with spaced flanges extending therefrom, said pivoted channel member-being transversely positioned on its pivot so one of its flanges will pass just inside of thefixed channel flange nearest to said exit opening, .while the other flange of the pivoted channel member will pass just outside the other'flange of the fixed channel, these last two mentioned flanges 'havingcuttingedges opening across the two sets of flanges, the first mentioned set of flanges actingto hold the string in position after the string has been cut by said cutting edges so it may be quickly engaged by an operator and drawn across all the flanges on raising the pivoted member. 7 I

' 2. A structure including a receptacle for carrying'string and having an exit opening for the string, means for supporting the receptacle, a combined gripping and'cutting means mounted on the bottom of the receptacle in transverse alignment with the string opening so the string end by itself will normally intercept the gripping and cutting means, said means comprising'a pair 7 of channel shaped members having co-operative flanges transversely arranged "and 'operatively held together atone end by a pivot-pin so the free edges-of the flanges of one of said members are closely adjacent the flangesof the other, one

.55 to cut a string pulled from the receptacle exit member being non-movably fixed to the string receptacle' while the other is pivotally movable on the fixed member, the pair of co-operative flanges farthest from the string exit opening having scissors like cutting edges to cut the string while the pair of co-operative flanges nearest the string opening has dull edges so as to grip and hold the string after the cutting edges have cut the string on operating the pivotally movable channel member whereby the string will be avail able for another cutting operation.

3. A combined string receptacle and cutter structure having gripping and cutting means as defined in claim 2 further characterized in that the flange, on'the fixed channel member which is nearest the source of string exit opening is not aswide as its cutting flange for the purpose described.

4. A combined string receptacle and cutter structure having gripping and cutting means as defined in claim 2 further characterized in that spring means are located within the confines of the channels for laterally shifting the movable channel member on the pivot pin when necessary, depending on the diameter of the string being cut and to better cut the string or cord that is drawn into cutting position on the cutter.

5. A combined string receptacle. and cutter structure having gripping and cuttin means as defined in claim 2 further characterized in that a helical spring is positioned on the pin between the'dull edge of the movable channel member and the cutting flange of the fixed channel member, so the movable channel member may shift laterally away from the fixed channel member to automatically take up at least a better looking position for a string or cord of larger diameter than those that are small enough in diameter so no shifting of the cutting channel member takes place.

6. A combined string receptacle and cutter structure having gripping and cutting, means as defined in claim 2 further. characterized in that the movable channel member has, a pair of flanges connected by a web and has its web extending outwardly beyond the free end of its flanges to form a handle for operating thesaid channel. 1

'7. A structure includinga cylindrically shaped casing for carrying string orcord with means at one end for receiving means for supporting it, said end being removable for introducing-the string or cord, the opposite end having a hole therein near the outer edge of said end, combined gripping and cutting means carried by this last mentioned end and positioned transversely across a diameter of the casing passing through the center of said hole, so a string orcord coming out of the hole may be hung across said gripping and cutting means, said means being composed of two channel shaped members having co-operative flanges, one member being non-movably fixed while the other member is pivoted at one end to the fixed member so the cooperative flanges of the channel members are in lateral engagement, the set of flanges farthest from said hole having co-operative'cutting edges to cut the string or cord while the set of co-operative flanges nearest to the hole has dull edges. to grip and hold the string or cord after it is severed by said cutting flanges. Y

8. A structure including a casing having means for placing string or cord therewithin' and also having co-operative means for mounting it for use, the casing having exit means for the string 5 i or cord, combined gripping and cutting means carried by the casing so the string or cord may be readily applied thereto for cutting, said means having two members, each with spaced sides being arranged in co-operative pairs, one member being fastened to the casing while the other member is pivoted on the fastened member by a pin which supports a helical spring, the sides of said members being laterally spaced and shiftable on said pin from each other so one cooperative pair farthest away from said exit means and having sharp cutting edges forms a shear while the other pair having dull edges serves to grip and hold the strings or cords of differentsiz es after the same have been sheared off.

FREDERICK P. UPTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 201,006 Hale Mar. 5, 1878 342,129 Paxton et al.v May 18, 1886 384,215 Phillips June 5, 1888 1,784,258 Tynan Dec. 9, 1930 1,878,980 Bell et a1 Sept. 20, 1932 

